In defending its vital interests in the Arctic, the United States lacks a critical tool: mighty nuclear-powered icebreakers that would solidify its economic and strategic role in the region. Russia is surging ahead in this area, and the United States must catch up.

With U.S. hegemony waning and no successor waiting to pick up the baton, the current international system will likely give way to a larger number of power centers acting with increasing autonomy. The post–Cold War order is unraveling, and it will be missed.

The economic potential of the Arctic is undoubtedly considerable, and that has heightened Asian interest in the region. Because these are perilous times for the Arctic environment, though, the exploration (and exploitation) of the area needs to be done sustainably.

Machines are substituting for more types of human labor than ever before. This means that the real winners of the future will be neither the providers of cheap labor nor the owners of ordinary capital, but rather those who can innovate and create new products, services, and business models.

In today’s dollar-dominated financial system, changes in U.S. monetary policy can have immediate and significant global effects, wrecking economies and toppling regimes. As a result, for many countries monetary sovereignty is nothing but a dream.

There is no shortage of international recommendations, action plans, and other prescriptions for restoring the oceans’ health. The problem is not ignorance but political will. Yet the longer governments and societies delay action, the worse things will get. Here are some things they can start doing now.

Last month, Washington pledged to give up control of ICANN, a nonprofit that manages the Internet's domain name system. Critics say the move will empower repressive regimes to restrict Internet freedom. But it actually provides the best chance of preserving an open system.

We have come to appreciate that our rapidly increasing technological sophistication -- which has brought such benefits as safe and convenient air travel -- carries with it potential costs. It gives us greater ability to destroy, of course. But, it can also lead to the creation of vulnerable, tightly-connected, and inadequately resilient systems. And in those systems, individuals and organizations are often the weakest links -- as the recent Malaysia Airlines disaster makes clear.

As the United States redefines its role in the Middle East, regional powers will feel pressure to exercise restraint and cooperate with each other. And that is exactly what the UAE is doing by potentially striking a deal with Iran over the disputed islands of Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunbs.